Play Book Tag discussion

Ghost Ship: The Mysterious True Story of the Mary Celeste and Her Missing Crew by Brian Hicks - 4* - My Review

This book is non-fiction that analyzes the history of the sailing ship Mary Celeste from its launch in the Bay of Fundy in 1861, fateful voyage in 1872 that made her legend, and final demise. On December 4, 1872, the Mary Celeste was discovered drifting in the North Atlantic without a soul aboard, despite showing no signs of struggle, little damage, and no theft of cargo. This book is the author’s attempt to resolve the mystery of what happened.

The work is structured chronologically. Hicks carefully reconstructs the events leading to the crew's disappearance, examines the circumstances surrounding the discovery by the Dei Gratia, and relates the complex legal proceedings in Gibraltar that followed. The narrative extends beyond the mystery itself. It traces how the legend developed and methodically deconstructs each of the previously proposed theories.

The setup and initial mystery are well crafted in the manner of a storyteller. It does not give away the proposed solution but drops hints along the way, almost like a mystery-thriller. It bogs down a bit in the mid-section with a few notably outlandish theories (do we really need to debunk the alien abduction theory?). It also incorporates biographical information about key figures such as Captain Briggs and his seafaring family.

Hicks analyzes how legends develop and persist. It also shows how conspiracy theories proliferate. Of course, we will never truly know what happened, but the proposed solution is plausible and backed up with evidence. It occasionally contains an overabundance of detail and a bit of repetition, but I found it informative and entertaining. It sheds light on an eerie disappearance that has been the subject of speculation for over a century.

This sounds right in my wheelhouse, Joy. Thanks for the review

It's a well-crafted nonfiction mystery, which I think you will enjoy, JoAnne.